Someone For Everyone
by Laruto
Summary: When she first laid eyes on her boss, Julia found him oddly attractive... until he opened his mouth. Years of pent up hatred unleash and she's caught in a web of penny shaving and an intense love affair. [Office Space: Bill Lumbergh x OC]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Pairing:** William "Bill" Lumbergh x Julia Anderson [OC]

 **Genre:** Romance/Comedy

 **Rating:** T

 **Summary:** When she first laid eyes on her boss, Julia found him oddly attractive... until he opened his mouth. Years of pent up hatred unleash and she's caught in a web of penny shaving and an intense love affair.

* * *

Julia's eyes were locked to her computer, fingers typing vigorously as she began the day's work. Just over her cubicle, she could hear Samir fidgeting frustratingly with the printer.

"Piece of shit..." Samir muttered furiously as he ripped the paper out of the printer forcibly.

A small smile graced her lips as Samir cursed the printer, Michael's voice following soon after in agreement. The malfunctioning printer seemed to annoy them extra on a Monday. This Monday in particular was off to a nauseating start for Julia when she realized it was her one year mark with Initech.

It seemed like only yesterday that she had been an intern, filing paperwork and doing menial tasks as she studied for her degree; a degree that would then enable to become a programmer for the company. She would soon learn what a soul-sucking environment Initech truly was now that the naivety of being an inexperienced intern wore off.

She remembered her first day so clearly. How could she not? She was extremely nervous and a completely different person than she was now. She was once bubbly and eager to please. Nowadays it was rare to draw a genuine smile from her while she managed to do just enough work to get the job done but never exceeding expectations as she once had. If it weren't for Peter, Michael and Samir, she would've probably quit a long time ago.

"Hey guys."

Samir and Michael looked up to see Peter rounding over to the tiny cubicle they shared.

"What's up, chief?" Michael nodded.

"Mornin', Jules," Peter peaked over her desk

"Good morning, Peter," She smiled up at him before returning to her work.

"You guys wanna go to Chotchkie's? Get some coffee?"

That was when Jullia knew his Monday was already off to a bad start.

"It's a little early," Samir pointed out.

"I gotta get out of here, I feel like I'm gonna lose it," Peter blurted before Samir could protest further.

And to further prove Peter's point, an overly cheerful employee popped up from behind him with a smile that would somehow make you want to frown in disdain.

"Uh oh, sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays!" She stated before walking off with a giggle, as if she had said the funniest, most clever thing.

Michael and Samir nodded in agreement before getting up to follow Peter. Peter walked over to peek over Julia's desk, nodding her towards the group.

"You coming, Jules?"

"Not this time," She sighed, looking up at him, "I have a lot of work to catch up on."

"Suit yourself," Peter shrugged, "I'll bring you the usual?"

"Sure," She began to reach for her purse but he waved his hand dismissively.

"I got it, see you in a bit."

Before she could protest, he and the guys began to walk too eagerly out of the office. She sighed softly as she continued to type away but her momentary peace was soon disrupted when all all-too-familiar voice brought her eyes upward.

"Hey Jewel, what's happening?" Bill greeted her unenthusiastically.

She grit her teeth as she looked upon her boss, coffee mug in hand and leaning against her cubicle. From the moment she began here as an intern, he insisted on calling her "Jewel" and after having corrected him twice, she gave up long ago.

"We have sort of a problem here," He began blandly, "Yeah, you apparently didn't put one of the new cover sheets on your TPS reports?"

"Oh, yeah," Julia nodded, forcing a lighthearted smile as she tucked a strand of her deep burgundy hair over her ear, "I apologize, it must have slipped my mind."

She attempted to return to her work but it would only be too easy if he were to accept her answer and walk away.

"Mmm, yeah... You see, we're putting cover sheets on all TPS reports before they go out." He continued, bringing her eyes back towards him before he questioned confusedly, "Did you see the memo about this?"

"Yes," She cleared her throat, "I have the memo, I just forgot."

"Yeaaah," He nodded, "If you could just go ahead and remember to do that from now on, that would be great. And I'll make sure you get another copy of that memo, mmmkay?"

"Yeah, I have the memo-"

"See you later, Jewel," He interrupted, walking away as he took a sip of his coffee.

Julia stared after him heatedly, gritting her teeth. She suddenly wished she had gone to Chotchkie's with the guys. She turned back to her computer, her mood now foul. She glanced at the time. One hour. She had been here one hour and her day was already ruined. Bill Lumbergh had a real talent for doing just that. To think there was a time when she found him to be a pretty attractive man.

When she initially met him, she had been instantly attracted. I mean, she always had an attraction to men who most wouldn't probably find attractive but Bill Lumbergh was, respectively, a good-looking man. At nearly six feet tall, he towered over her as she just managed to reach five feet. He had nice hair; full, thick and a flattering brown. Behind his large glasses were passive blue eyes that matched his tone of voice.

His voice had once been something she found soothing. He never yelled. Ever. In her entire year of working here, she had never even seen him express any kind of anger or frustration. Even when he was giving you warnings, they were calm and nonconfrontational. She had initially enjoyed that about him, having previously worked for bosses that would explode at any mistake.

But as time went by, she would come to learn that she hated his passive aggressive nature just as much – if not more – than the bosses who would yell and berade her. Little by little, her patience wore thin and her attraction to him began to lessen until she finally couldn't hear his voice without wanting to shoot herself.

That was when she began to befriend Peter. One day after being talked to by Bill, she had rolled her eyes as soon as he turned his back before making eye contact with Peter. There was a mutual understanding between them and they clicked. He would then introduce her to Samir and Michael.

She didn't know what it was but she instantly got along well with the trio, assimilating into their circle easily. She attributed it to their equal disdain for their boss. It was no surprise, she had always gotten along better with men than women, always being "one of the guys." This time was no different as she was unable to stand the fake sweetness of the equally soulless women in the office.

But as tight knit as the four were, she and Peter had a bond much like Michael and Samir did. She had, at one point, sat in the cubicle right across from Peter. That was what probably made them as close as they were until Bill asked her to move. She and Peter had been disappointed as their conversations seemed to be the only thing keeping them sane.

She had been lucky to be moved beside Samir and Michael but it, unfortunately, left Peter with no one but Milton to talk to.

"Julia."

Julia looked up to see Dom standing by her desk, a smile on his face.

"We need to talk about your TPS reports..."

She plastered on the best smile she could, internally screaming.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

When the trio returned, it was to Samir and Michael's desk. Joining them was a very flustered Tom. Julia stood from her desk, greeting them with a nod.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" She questioned.

"I'll tell you what!" Tom began, "Have you seen this?!"

He handed her a wrinkled piece of paper. She took it and read the memo before looking up at him confusedly.

"It's a staff meeting."

"Not just any staff meeting!" He informed her, bringing an eye roll from the three men who had already heard this on their way inside.

"They're downsizing Initech-"

"Tom, keep it down," Michael mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"-They're bringing in consultants! We're all screwed!"

"Tom, I think you're overreacting," She tried to comfort him.

"Not this time!" He insisted, "You know there's people who don't have to put up with this shit?! Like the guy who invented the pet rock?"

Julia sat back down slowly, shaking her head as Tom rambled on in a fit of paranoia. This was a man who constantly felt his job was in jeopardy. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was the security of her job. She was good at what she did and so were the rest of the software people.

She had absolutely no fear of losing her job.

* * *

When Julia arrived home that day, she drew a much-needed hot bubble bath for herself. It was a stress-relieving ritual for her which she seemed to be doing much more of lately. In fact, it was becoming almost a daily thing. But even as she lay in the water, she found herself unable to relax, too deep in thought, thinking about work.

She eventually stopped trying to relax and finished her bath. She stepped out of the tub, the water draining loudly as she wrapped a towel around her form. She looked at her foggy mirror and began to wipe it, looking at herself through the clear streaks.

She felt a sudden weight on her shoulders as she looked in the mirror. It was as if she didn't recognize who she was anymore. The sparkle in her hazel eyes had dimmed. She couldn't remember the last time she genuinely smiled, managing only to do so when in the presence of her friends outside of work. She questioned herself and questioned her future constantly.

It was beginning to take a toll on her mental health and though she had begun seeing a therapist, it didn't seem to do much good. The problem was her job. She could quit but what good would that do? She would only get a job at another software firm and deal with the same bullshit she dealt now. Except she wouldn't have the guys and that would make it unbearable.

 **Ring. Ring.**

She nearly jumped at the sudden ring. She fastened her towel securely over chest before walking to her phone and picking it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jules," Peter's voice echoed in her ear.

She felt her lips curl up in an involuntary smile.

"Hey Peter, what's up?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to see how you were doing. You were kind of quiet today."

"Yeah," She sighed, "Just... one of those days."

"I get it," He assured her, "I swear, one of these days I'm coming to work and shooting the place up."

She laughed at his dark joke, relating to it on many levels.

"What if we're still there by the time we're fifty?" He questioned with a sudden seriousness.

"I'd kill myself before I make it that far," She spoke dryly as she walked back to the bathroom.

"Lumbergh's gonna make me work on Saturday, I just know it," He continued, "And I'm gonna end up doing it because I'm a big pussy... Which is why I work at Initech to begin with."

Julia scoffed on the other end as she walked back to the bathroom.

"Yeah, well, I work at Initech and I don't consider myself a pussy," She stated as she grabbed a second towel to dry her hair, "By the way, we still up for poker this Friday?"

"Oh... no," He replied hesitantly.

"Why not?" She frowned.

"I'm gonna go see this occupational hypnotherapist with Anne."

"An occupational hypnotherapist?" She repeated in disbelief.

"I know, I know," He sighed, "The guys gave me enough crap for it earlier but Anne wants me to go and she thinks it might help... I..."

"What?" She pressed on.

"You know, sometimes I get the feeling that she's cheating on me."

She chuckled lightly, raising her eyebrows as she continued to dry her hair with one hand.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

There was a brief pause on his end.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean... come on, Peter," She spoke frankly but said nothing else, "I mean, why don't you just tell her you're not into hypnosis and come play poker with us?"

"Nah, she's just gonna get pissed off," He mumbled, "Who knows, it might help."

"I think it'll help as much as Lumbergh's reminders to put covers on our TPS reports."

"Jesus, did he talk to you about that too?!"

"Don't even get me started..." She mumbled, "Hey, I think I know how to get you out of working on Saturday."

"How?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Here's what we do..." She began what would continue on to be an hour long conversation, her hair drying by the time it ended.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I know this story won't get many views/reviews but it's been on my mind for a while and fuck it, I wrote it for the 2 of you who will read and hopefully enjoy.

Stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Julia stared at the clock on her desk intently, watching the digital time until it finally changed to 5:45PM exactly. She stood from her desk to see Peter standing. They made eye contact and she sent a curt nod his way. She watched him disappear back into his desk before turning back to face the direction in which Bill would be walking through any minute now.

She and Peter went over this repeatedly this last night and if she managed to distract Bill long enough, Peter would be able to sneak out and avoid having to work this weekend. He owed her big time for this...

As expected, Bill stepped out of his office, mug in hand, and began to stroll through the floor.

Julia fixed her hair once she spotted their boss. She cleared her throat, suddenly and inexplicably nervous as she swiftly approached him before he could walk any farther.

"Mr. Lumbergh," She addressed him eagerly, drawing his attention straight to her.

"Jewel," He nodded, "What's happening?"

"Yes, I had a question regarding the timesheets," She began, looking up at him, "If you've worked two or more job codes in one day and we need the extra columns to fit it all in, are we supposed to use the old timesheets or the new timesheets?"

"That's a great question," He nodded, "Um, we're actually going to address this in Monday's staff meeting... So if you could hold onto that thought, that'd be terrific."

He began to walk away from her but she quickly hopped in front of him, bringing her hands out in protest. He looked down at her curiously.

"Right, right but um... I mean, isn't it a matter of too much importance to wait?" She pressed.

He thought about it for a moment, providing a light shrug.

"I suppose we could send out a memo," He stated quickly as he held his coffee mug close to his chest, "I'm sorry, Jewel, you'll have to excuse me."

"But, Mr. Lumbergh-"

She attempted to block him a second time, doing so clumsily. The coffee in his mug splashed around, some of it getting on his shirt. He grimaced, clearing his throat in what was probably the highest amount of frustration he could show.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, turning to her desk to grab a few tissues.

As she grabbed tissues, she peeked over towards Peter's desk and silently cursed him for not moving quicker. This wasn't going as smoothly as they had planned and Peter taking his sweet time wasn't helping any.

She turned quickly back to Bill and began to clean the coffee off of his shirt, apologizing repeatedly. He said nothing, however, and just looked down at her silently. An awkward silence followed as she repeatedly dabbed at his shirt.

Her cheeks pinkened as she was suddenly aware of how close she was, feeling his firm chest underneath her hands. The faint scent of expensive cologne filling her nostrils made her stomach flutter, alarming her out of what she was doing.

She stopped trying to clean his shirt, avoiding eye contact as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Sorry..." She mumbled lowly.

"It's alright, Jewel," He assured her, "We'll talk about your question another time, mmmkay?"

She nodded, mentally cursing herself as he walked past her. She turned and watched as he managed to catch Peter just as he was leaving his desk. She rubbed her eyes in frustration, the heat remaining on her cheeks.

She watched as Bill spoke to Peter briefly before retreating. Peter didn't even turn to look at Julia, bringing a pang of guilt to mix with her embarrassment.

 _Well, that was a complete failure..._

* * *

"Jules? You alright?"

Julia looked up from her deck of cards as Samir and Michael sat at either side of her. They were looking at her expectantly when she realized they had been talking to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She assured them.

"You were kind of spacing out," Michael pointed out.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm just worried about Peter."

"Peter? Why?" Samir frowned.

"He seems so... depressed."

"Of course he's depressed," Michael scoffed as he took a swig of his beer, "He's at hypnotherapy when he could be hanging out with us."

"I heard he's working Saturday too," Samir spoke casually as he eyed his cards.

"Yeah, I tried to distract Lumburgh but that didn't work out too well," She sighed.

"Hey, it's not your fault," Michael shrugged, "Peter was going to work this weekend no matter what."

He was probably right. She wouldn't put it past Bill to show up at Peter's doorstep even if their plan hard worked.

"You're right," Julia forced a smile, "Let's just play cards."

But even as they played, drank and talked, Julia couldn't shake off her earlier mortification. She wasn't sure why she was letting it get to her. Michael and Samir had thought it hilarious that she caused Bill to spill coffee on himself. But for some reason, she felt foolish.

Perhaps it was his way of not really reacting to it that made her uncomfortable. If he had laughed it off or even gotten mad at her for it, it would've been easy to read and react. But he was just so... bland. She couldn't help but wonder if he _ever_ got angry.

With each drink she had, the encounter continued to replay in her head more and more frequently. She began to remember certain details that brought a wave of nausea to her. Though she wasn't sure if it was nausea brought on by disgust or... something else.

Just the memory of being so inappropriately close to him, feeling his chest through his shirt and taking in the scent of what smelled like expensive cologne. It was faint but she was close enough to smell it. He hadn't said a word while she was cleaning, only looking down at her with pools of blue behind his large spectacles.

It was an image that would nag her into her very dreams that night.

* * *

 _Saturday Morning_

 **Ring. Ring.**

"Mmm..." Julia groaned as she lay in bed, slowly waking up.

 **Ring. Ring.**

"God dammit," She muttered, turning over as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes hurriedly.

 **Ring. Ring.**

She exhaled heavily as she threw her blanket off of her form and rushed to her phone. She was half-asleep and it showed in her voice as she picked up the phone and answered sleepily.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, hi, it's Bill Lumbergh."

That was enough to wake her up. Her half-lidded eyes popped open and her heart skipped a beat inexplicably.

"O-Oh, hi, Mr. Lumbergh," She cleared her throat, rubbing her eyes once more, "What can I do for you?"

"Peter was supposed to come at nine today but he hasn't shown up," He informed her, "Um, if you could come in as soon as possible, that would be _terrific_."

"Um, sure," She nodded, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Great," He drew out the word, "See you in a bit, Jewel."

She hung up the phone with a frown. Peter not showing up for work? She immediately began to dial Peter's number, bringing to her ear. Her frown only deepened when she received his answering machine but was unable to leave a message as his voicemail was full.

Confusion was replaced by worry. She began to get ready for the day, calling Peter continously in between her shower and getting dressed. She must've dialed at least seven times but her calls went unanswered.

She frowned as she set the phone down, grabbing her purse. She made a mental note to try and reach him again in the afternoon but for now, her cubicle was waiting for her.

* * *

Bill hung up the phone, staring down at it pensively. Once again, he had resorted to having to call Julia to the office. He did that frequently as she was one of the very few employees who always answered her phone and never said no. In fact, he wasn't sure why he hadn't just asked her to come this weekend instead of that flake Peter.

Julia was definitely one of his most reliable employees and had been since her days as an intern.

Her first day was one he couldn't forget. He had done a double take upon seeing her from across the office. The first thing he noticed was her rich, burgundy hair as it flowed down her back like expensive wine being poured into a glass. It complimented her fair skin and brought out the green specks in her hazel eyes.

She was beautiful, yes. Well-educated, polite, professional and poised. While many employees had no qualms about expressing their displeasure towards working late or moving their desks, Julia always kept a smile on her face. It was refreshing.

Since day one he had always found her attractive. What man in the office didn't besides the trio of programmers she always seemed to associate herself with? Bill always managed to keep it professional though he found it difficult sometimes to keep a straight face. Especially during moments like yesterday.

Her eagerness to speak to him had made her clumsy and though he had been annoyed that her actions had caused him to stain his shirt, his annoyance quickly vanished soon after. He had watched her hazel eyes widen in horror before she began to ramble apologies.

Standing so close to him, he looked down at the short woman as she cleaned his shirt. She was so close, he could faintly smell her shampoo; sweet, strawberry-like and intoxicating. Her cheeks pinkened in embarrassment as they always did when she made a spectacle of herself. As she looked down at the ground shyly, a flash of her long eyelashes were enough for Bill to dismiss what happened as nothing. It took every ounce of him not to grab her chin and force her to look up at him, hating that she deprived him of looking into those entrancing eyes.

He quickly excused himself soon after, alarmed at the very thought. He hadn't thought about Julia in this manner since she first came to Initech. He had thought he had gotten over that initial attraction but then she did things like that and sparked the old fire.

He only hoped the consultants would see the value in keeping Julia on Monday. If not, work was about to become less exciting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Julia stood between Tom and Michael as they gathered for their staff meeting. As soon as everyone was gathered, Bill's voice could be heard addressing the time-sheet issue Julia had brought to his attention. Julia eyed the men standing beside Bill, the men that Tom confirmed was one of the "consultants." Both named Bob, one tall and thin and the other short and portly. Their professional nods and smiles seemed friendly enough yet knowing what they were truly here, Julia found it difficult to see their genuineness.

She could see the nervousness in both Tom and Michael. She and Samir were a little more confident that they had nothing to worry about. In fact, the only person she worried for was Tom. She always had trouble figuring out exactly what he did around here. It seemed no matter how many times he explained it, she couldn't find a real reason for him to be here.

As for Michael and Samir, they were the best programmers Initech had. If any programmer would lose their job, it would be her over them. And maybe Peter now that he no-called, no-showed for two days; three if he didn't show up again today.

Once the meeting dismissed, they were sent back to their desks. Michael fidgeted with his pen, cicking it repeatedly as they walked back to their cubicles. Julia noticed his anxiety and nudged him as they walked back, offering a light smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it," She reassured him, "You're one of the best programmers they have here. They'd be idiots to let you go."

Michael sighed, rubbing his neck stressfully.

Julia sat at her desk with a sigh. She didn't even manage to log back into the system before someone arrived at her desk.

"Good morning, Julia!" A boisterous woman greeted her.

"Good morning, Kathy," Julia forced a smile, "What can I do for you?"

"Well," She began excitedly, "Mr. Lumbergh's birthday is right around the corner and I was wondering if you would bake your famous chocolate cake!"

Didn't she always? From the moment she brought her homemade cake to one of their potlucks, she had baked cakes more than she ever had in her life prior to working here. She had to hold back from telling Kathy so, keeping her fake smile on her face.

"Of course," She nodded,

"Great," Kathy grinned widely, "I'll remind you the day before."

"Oh, there's no need-"

"See you later!" Kathy bounced off, leaving Julia with a bad taste in her mouth.

She glared after the hefty woman icily. Her stare was broken when she caught a glance of Peter walking right through the office nonchalantly dressed in jeans and, his unbuttoned shirt exposing the white t-shirt underneath. With a curious frown, she stood from her desk and approached him swiftly.

"Peter!" She walked alongside him as he walked to his desk.

"Hey, Jules," He greeted with a grin.

"What happened?" She questioned worriedly, "You were supposed to work this weekend, I've been calling you nonstop. What the hell were you doing?!"

"Nothing," He stopped to smile at her, "Jules, I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it would be."

She stared at him in disbelief as he gathered his belongings .

"Well, I hope you have a better excuse than that for Lumbergh," She scoffed., "You have an interview with the consultants today."

"The consultants?" He frowned curiously then smiled again, "Oh yeah."

He took a few steps towards the conference room where the consultants were waiting for him. She quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Peter, you've got to postpone it," She shook her head wide-eyed, "Make something up, tell them you were sick."

"Jules," He smirked, gently pulling his arm away to squeeze her shoulder, "I haven't felt this great in a long time."

Without another word, he pat her shoulder reassuringly before heading to the conference room, leaving Julia speechless and bewildered.

* * *

The next couple of days were bizarre. Peter had changed completely. He was much more laid back, his tension seemed to have disappeared completely and he smiled more than Julia had ever seen him smile. Apparently his hypnotherapy had been a religious-like experience for him, his sudden uncaring attitude towards his work wasn't even subtle.

He showed up when he felt like it and even when he did, he came out of dress code, playing Tetris on his computer. He had toppled over a wall of his cubicle for the sake of having a window view. He was flat out refusing to follow Bill's directions and even took his parking spot. It was beginning to worry his friends, especially Julia. She tried to talk to him but he would always laugh off the situation and assure her he was fine.

It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see him happy. But she wasn't sure if this sudden happiness came from a healthy place. She wondered if his breakup with Anne had anything to do with it or maybe he had just snapped. Michael joked that he would come shooting the place one of these days but Julia was actually beginning to fear that he just might, as creepy as he was behaving.

At the same time, she couldn't help but feel some sort of resentment towards Peter. The more work he disregarded, the more work was piled onto her and her coworkers. Mostly her. It seemed that now that Peter was refusing to cooperate, Bill was now targeting her.

His visits to her desk doubled, each time with an extra assignment that was sometimes even out of her department. But, like always, she simply accepted the extra duties with a polite smile and did as told.

Even now she was working through her lunch to catch up on said extra work, so focused that she hadn't seen Bill leaning against her cubicle.

"Hey Jewel, what's happening?"

Julia looked up from her desk, fearing the worst.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need you to stay late tomorrow," He informed her, "We've lost a few people and um... we need to sort of play catch up."

"Yeah," She responded without hesitation, "Sure."

"Thanks," He raised his mug before walking away.

That was the last straw. Tonight Peter would be receiving a call and an earful from her.

* * *

When Julia arrived home that day, she was ready to call Peter, still fuming about having to work late tomorrow to pick up his slack. But the phone had been ringing before she even unlocked her door. When she picked it up, it had been Peter.

"Jules, can you come over?" He asked immediately.

She frowned at the seriousness of his voice, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be angry with him.

"Yeah, is everything alright?" She asked as she grabbed the keys she had tossed on her table, ready to leave.

"Just get here as soon as you can, okay?"

She heard a click before she could question further, looking at the phone as her frown deepened. She shook her head with a scoff and left her apartment, silently cursing Peter.

She muttered in annoyance as she entered her car and began to drive towards Peter's apartment.

As Julia exited her car and climbed up the steps, she hoped that for Peter's sake that whatever he had to say included an apology.

She knocked on his door and it flung open as if he had been waiting for her.

"Come in," He motioned quickly.

She walked in to see that he wasn't alone. Michael was standing, beer in hand, while Samir sat on a dining chair. They both looked very tense, it brought a wave of uneasiness to Julia.

"What's going on?" She looked back and forth between the pair.

"We're losing our jobs, that's what's going on," Michael informed her bluntly before taking a swig of his beer.

Her eyes widened as she looked towards Samir, her heart dropping at the news.

"It's true," He confirmed, shaking his head.

"That includes you," Michael nodded towards her, his voice bitter.

"What?!" She shrieked in disbelief, bringing a jump out of the men.

She turned to look towards Peter, his face guilty.

"And what about you?"

"He's getting a promotion," Samir answered for him, much to Peter's chagrin as he'd hoped to break it to her easy.

He had expected her to lose it. What he had not expected was for her to burst out laughing. She laughed so loud and so hard that her face reddened, her eyes watering. Peter exchanged looks with Samir and Michael before he began to smile, a nervous chuckle following after. Samir and Michael followed soon after but they would abruptly stop when Julia suddenly sobered from her fit of hysterical laughter.

"Shut up!" She shouted suddenly.

Their smiles were wiped off as they watched in fearful confusion as she flipped. When Julia got mad - which didn't happen often - she was a completely different person. Her deep red hair suddenly seemed to suit her well.

"Jules-" Peter began.

"You're getting a promotion," She spoke angrily before she began to point out the following reasons on each finger, "After you: A) Don't show up for days. B) Completely disregard office protocol and C) don't do your fucking job?!"

Michael and Samir stood quietly and awkwardly. She was speaking what had been on both of their minds but had been too scared to say out loud. But Julia wasn't finished.

"I have been picking up your slack and working extra hours only to get fired while you get paid more money?!"

Peter brought his hands up, afraid to even answer her question.

"Look, I know you're mad and you have every right to be," He started carefully, "But we have an idea that's going to make all of this seem like a blessing in disguise."

Not the least bit appeased, she began to head out the door. Despite his better judgement, Peter quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Jules, hear us out."

"Yeah, we got a pretty good idea," Michael stepped forward.

"Foolproof plan," Samir added, "It'll bring us a lot of money."

Julia stared at them intently, a tense moment of silence passing. She ripped her arm away from Peter, fixing her shirt. Her following words would bring a sense of relief to the men in the room:

"I'm listening."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

It was crazy. Absolutely crazy. They were talking about penny shaving. It was a huge deal, bigger than they were making it out to be. Peter flat out refused to admit that it was stealing, using the unfair treatment of Initech towards them as justification for going through with it. It had taken quite a bit of convincing to get Julia on board.

With Samir's extensive knowledge of the software, Michael's and Julia's experience with computer codes, Peter assured them it was foolproof. Using Samir's information of Initech's accounting system, Michael would create a virus and transfer it onto a floppy disc. Julia would then go over the codes a second time to assure there were no bugs before passing it to Peter who would transfer the code into the system.

She hated to admit it but by the time they managed to convince her to go through with it, she had actually seen the logic in it. After all, how could they ask her to work late - completely taking advantage of the short time she had left here - and not tell her beforehand that this was her last week?!

It infuriated her even more so when she had gone home that night to a voicemail from Kathy reminding her of Bill's birthday tomorrow.

She had stayed up late baking that damned cake for her future ex-boss, fantasizing about him choking on it and falling to the floor. Though deep down she knew it was the consultants who made the decision to lay her off, she refused to not place some blame on Bill and Don - mostly Bill. He was, after all, her direct supervisor. Surely he could've fought for the programmers to keep their jobs but he had no doubt not even tried.

 _Fuck Initech, fuck the consultants and fuck you, Bill_ , she thought bitterly to herself as she slid the finished cake in the fridge before heading to bed.

* * *

 _The Next Day_

Julia felt sick as she watched him stand there, the office singing an unenthusiastic "happy birthday" as he admired the cake. She was unable to look at him any longer and looked elsewhere, biting the inside of her cheeks. As she stood there, Samir was gathering all the information for the system. Pretty soon the torch would be passed to Michael than to her and she couldn't wait for that.

That was how Bill caught her; zoned out and looking away, arms crossed over her chest. With her profile in view, he took the time to admire her soft features. It was a true shame that she was leaving this week. He had spoken with the consultants and though he had openly disagreed with their decision to fire her and promote Peter, he really had no power over that decision.

It was when he realized she would be leaving that he began to come to her desk more often, using any excuse to speak to her. He began to ask her to work late more frequently. Who was he kidding? He didn't need her to work late. He just wanted to stretch every minute he had left with her, as incredibly corny as it sounded.

He couldn't help it. He had gone so far out of his way to ignore his attraction to her since she started working here that he had managed to surpress it. But now that he knew she was leaving, it startled him enough to remember just how much he admired her from far away without realizing.

Once the singing stopped, he turned back to the cake, blowing out his candles. He was met with a light applause.

"Kate, you want to get everyone started?" He questioned as he took a slice for himself.

Fork in hand, he dug in and took a bite.

"Oh, that is terrific," he announced towards Julia, "Thank you, Jewel, I really appreciate it."

He locked eyes with her and felt an unnerving stirring as she gave him the most half-hearted smile he had ever seen. She turned her gaze to the floor, her arms still crossed over her chest. A slight paranoia filled him as he wondered if she knew this was her last week. It wouldn't surprise him if she had figured it out; she was sharp enough to come to that conclusion.

"Now, Milton, don't be greedy," Kate's voice could be heard, "Let's pass so everyone gets a piece."

As cake was passed around, Julia took a piece but had no appetite for it. She kept an eye on Milton who was left with no cake. He looked around with bug eyes, looking like a child who had been left out at a birthday party and her heart broke a little. Her lips curved into a small smile as she approached the squirrely man.

"Here, Milton," She handed him her cake, "Have mine."

He took it, looking at her confusedly for a moment as she walked back to her desk. He didn't think twice and began to dig into his cake.

As she walked away from the crowd, she made brief eye contact with Bill. Within those hazel eyes was something he had never seen in her before.

That was when he knew for sure that she knew.

* * *

Julia sat at her desk and began to close her system, piling paperwork away. Besides Bill, she was the only one left in the office. Before it had been her and Drew but he left before her, practically running out of the office. Julia stood from her desk, smoothing out her skirt before she gathered her belongings, the sight of the sunless sky depressing her. Working until night at Initech did that to you.

She sighed as she swung her purse over her shoulder, walking to the office lights and switching them off. The only light left came from Bill's office. She grit her teeth as she walked towards the exit, passing by his office. Normally she would've called out a "good night" but she wasn't feeling it today.

Of course, it would be too much to ask that Bill would just let her go, wouldn't it?

"Jewel?"

She froze, closing her eyes with a deep exhale, just managing to make it past his door. She grit her teeth as she walked back to his office, standing at the door.

"Yes, Mr. Lumbergh?"

He was standing at his desk, gathering his own belongings as he spoke.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and need you to work tomorrow night as well, just FYI."

Her eyes lit up with fury as she stared at him. "Angry Julia" was about to come out just as it did the night she found out she was getting laid off.

"Tomorrow?" She questioned, tapping her foot as she gripped the strap of her purse fiercely.

"Yeah, we're just really behind on a lot of work," He clarified, turning to face her, "If you could stay tomorrow until about 8PM, that would be great."

There was a very brief pause and before she could hold back, her anger exploded.

"Ah, I see," She spoke tightly, "And is security going to stick around that late?"

He hesitated, looking at her confusedly.

"Security-" He began but she was quick to cut him off.

"Yes, you know, to walk me out after you lay me off?"

Bill cleared his throat uncomfortably. If there was anything he hated was confrontation.

"I'm not sure what you-"

"Don't you think it's kind of a low blow to have me work late on my last day?" She continued, stepping into his office.

"Look, Jewel-"

"My name," She turned to him, raising her voice as she tossed her purse on the floor angrily, "is Julia. JU-LEE-AH!"

"Yes, I'm aware," He nodded, his demeanor remaining calm.

"Oh, are you?! It doesn't seem like you are," She continued sarcastically, "In fact, you don't seem to be aware of a lot of things, _Bill_."

The usage of his first name in such an informal manner was meant to be disrespectful, insulting even. But the sound of his first name escaping her lips, paired with her current feisty temper, was strangely arousing. He stood by and observed her quietly as she began to slowly lose it.

"How about the fact that you don't wear suspenders if you're wearing a belt?! Are you aware of that?!" She questioned heatedly, "Or the misery you put your employees in with your _stupid_ nagging and inconsideration paired with how incompetent you are at _your_ job?!"

Okay, _now_ he was getting mad. Of course, being the passive man he was, he didn't show it and it only infuriated Julia further. The sight of him just staring at her with no emotion - no regret, not even slight irritation - sent her over the edge.

"I hate this stupid job!" She shouted now, grabbing his stapler from his desk and tossing it across the room in his direction.

He moved out of the way, dropping his suitcase on the ground. His eyes widened as he watched her grab another object from his desk.

"And I hate you!" She continued as she aimed the object at him.

Before she could throw it, he lunged towards her, harder than he intended. He sent them sprawled against his desk. As she attempted to keep grabbing things from his desk to throw at him, he grabbed her wrists, pinning them down.

"Jewel, stop," He warned firmly but calmly.

"Let go of me!" She demanded.

He did so instantly and immediately regretted it when she turned onto her belly and reached for something else. He reached forward and grabbed her once more, looming over her as she struggled underneath him.

"Enough," He demanded calmly.

"Fuck you!" She hissed as she continued to squirm, too angry to notice her skirt had risen.

Bill continued to hold her down, a jolt of electric arousal shooting through his body as he realized her creamy thighs were exposed. He could see a peek of her thin undergarments as her skirt only rode up further. He grit his teeth as he instinctively pressed himself against her, leaning over her.

Julia slowly began to stop struggling, her eyes widening at the feel of his arousal pressing right against her rear. With underwear as thin as lace, he may as well be pressing himself against her bare bottom. She shuddered through gritted teeth, her eyes slowly closing as she found herself grinding back against him, anger breaking the walls of her repressed lust. She went from wanting to throw things at his head to wanting him to pound the fury out of her as quick as a the flip of a switch.

It took only that moment for the tables to turn.

Grabbing her hips, he slid her off his desk until her feet hit the ground, She remained bent over his desk, a low groan escaping her lips as she ground her hips against his. He inhaled sharply, his hands sliding underneath her; one trailed up her stomach as the other slid in between her legs.

He was rewarded with a moan louder than the previous one, his member now so erect it was almost painful. They both became impatient and they each began to fumble with their clothes furiously.

She stood straight, reaching underneath her skirt to pull her undergarments down as he swiftly began to unbuckle his belt, snapping off his suspenders just as she bent back over.

Her body screamed at him to take her and he was more than happy to oblige.

Spreading her legs slightly apart, he positioned himself from behind and slid inside of her. He closed his eyes as he savored the feel of her tight, wet entrance gripping him. They were both so eager, the necessity of protection was nowhere near their minds and he was now fully sheathed inside of her with no barrier between them. He entered with no trouble, her body ready and eager for him.

Julia's eyes rolled back until they closed as he immediately began to pound her. She cried out with each thrust, groaning lowly when he grabbed her hair and pulled it firmly, sending a wave of pleasure through her body.

Heavy pants, rhythmic moaning and the echo of their bodies joining filled the room. Every ounce of anger, resentment, lust and unfulfilled sexual urges was released with each thrust.

Just as she was close to her climax, he stopped and slid out of her. She was ready to protest until he roughly turned her onto her back, positioning her on his desk. She watched with half-lidded eyes as he reached for her button up blouse, ripping it open with ease, wringing a gasp out of her as buttons were sent flying. He grabbed her hips and yanked her forward, her legs wrapping around his waist as he entered her once more.

She cried out as he began to thrust as furiously as he did before, his strong hands running up her form until he gripped her breasts. He yanked her bra down, exposing her full breasts. He eagerly bent his head to wrap his lips around a rosy nipple, his thrusts slowing into deep, circular grinding.

Julia moaned shakily as she brought her hands to his hair, gripping it as she mimicked his movements, adding to their pleasure. Bill swiftly tossed his glasses to the side as he worshiped the breasts he he had admired on so many occasions. His lips trailed upward to her neck where he sunk his teeth only hard enough to bring a wave of painful pleasure.

He brought his head up to look at her. Their eyes met and an energy passed through them that neither could explain. He glanced at her lips and bent his head, pressing his lips against hers in a rough kiss. Julia gripped his hair, returning his kiss fiercely. Their tongues found each other and danced passionately as he quickened his thrusts.

As they both were reaching their peak, their kiss turned into a hovering of the lips as they panted. His thrusts became sharp and quick, wringing shaky cries out of her.

"A-Ah, fuck!" She cried out.

They clung to each other as Julia threw her head back, crying out as an intense orgasm shook her body, her limbs trembling. Bill buried his face in her neck, grunting lowly as he followed soon after.

Julia lay with her eyes closed, panting softly as her breathing slowed. Her arms hung loosely off of the man responsible for the best orgasm of her life.

They lay there, soft and deep exhales as they caught their breath, hearts racing. It wasn't until the sound of his voice brought her out of her daze that reality slapped her painfully across the face.

"That was great," He whispered lowly against her neck.

Her eyes popped wide open, her heart sinking to her stomach.

 _What the fuck did I just do...?_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Why I always found Bill Lumbergh hot is still a mystery. Maybe the taboo of sleeping with your boss?

The hate sex? Not sure but I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Julia arrived to work the following day with a heavy weight on her shoulders. She zoomed through the lobby, straight past Bill's office and to her desk, sitting and staring at her screen like a zombie as she was still trying to process what exactly happened last night. She had all but ran out of the office last night after her incident with Bill. She had left red-cheeked, eyes downward and muttering under her breath. She hadn't even remembered to grab her underwear, grabbing only her purse and leaving without another word.

She was dreading having to face him after last night but continued to tell herself that today was her last day anyway. For once since she had been aware she was being laid off, she was relieved that she was leaving. Work would never have been the same after that.

"Jules!"

Julia jumped as Michael peeked over her desk from his cubicle.

"Jesus Christ, Michael!" She gasped, bringing her heart to her chest.

"Sorry," He frowned, "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," She brushed it off, "I'm fine."

"Because you look terrible," He admitted bluntly as he took in her tired eyes and anxious demeanor.

"Yeah, thanks, Michael," She sighed, "I'm fine."

"If you say so," He looked at her in disbelief before he glanced both ways, handing her a floppy disk, "I finished programming the virus, take a look and Peter'll take care of the rest."

"Yeah, sounds good," She forced a smile as she took the floppy disk.

Michael responded with a wide grin before disappearing back into his cubicle, leaving Julia to her rattled thoughts. She continued to sit, knee bouncing under her desk, as she turned her computer. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. not having gotten a peaceful hour of sleep the night before.

Her mind was tormented with visions of last night. In between those memories were hypothetical visions of her friends finding out what she had done. The disgust and betrayal in their eyes felt all too real. She had never felt such an odd combination of self-loathing, guilt and arousal. The fact that she was able to feel any arousal in this mess was what made this situation truly disturbing.

But who was she kidding? Last night had been the most satisfying sex she ever had. Granted, it had been over a year since her last sexual encounter - way before she started working at Initech when she had been in a relationship. She attributed it the intensity of last night to just pent up sexual frustration, resentment towards her job and bitter anger towards her boss.

It had been an irresponsibly sponataneous moment, nothing more. They didn't need to address it and no one certainly ever needed to know about it.

These thoughts continued to plague her even as she started her work. She kept glancing at the time for when Bill would waltz into the office. She could just see him now, strutting in and passing by the cubicle with what would probably be a disgustingly inappropriate remark, no doubt loud enough for everyone to hear. It brought color to her cheeks just visualizing it.

Once nine o' clock hit, she looked over her shoulder anxiously. Her stomach fluttered at the sight of Bill casually walking in and straight to his office, briefcase in one hand and his coffee mug in the other. She turned back to her desk with a deep frown. Why the hell was her heart suddenly beating so fast?

"Jules," A voice startled her out of her thoughts.

She jumped as she turned to face Peter, frown still set.

"Did I scare you?" He eyed her amusedly.

That was when Michael stood from his desk to inform him, "She's jumpy today."

She glanced towards Michael as he sat right back down before turning back to Peter. He was looking at her curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm fine," She insisted.

"You sure?" He pressed as he brought the back of his hand to her cheek, "You're red as a tomato, you got a fever or something?"

"I've been a little feverish since last night," She stated dryly, enjoying the cool feel of his hand against her stinging cheek.

"Huh," he thought to himself before bringing his hand back, "Take of yourself, eh? There's only one virus I want going spread around this place."

A nervous chuckle that escaped her lips. She could feel her facial muscles relax at the sudden softening of her expression.

"I'll do my best, cheif," She nodded, smiling up at him affectionately.

A small pang of guilt stabbed at her heart as she looked into his kind, brown eyes. If he only knew what she had done, he wouldn't be looking at her the same way. The realization only brought her foul mood back from her brief high. Peter leaned in closer, lowering his voice slightly.

"Do you have the-"

"Yes," She assured him before he could finish, "I have it and I'll have it ready for you in an hour."

"Perfect," He grinned widely, patting her back gently.

He gave her a funny look, keeping his hand on her shoulder before he gave it a firm squeeze.

"Jesus, you're as stiff as a board," He commented, "Relax, will you? Everything will turn out okay and tonight we're celebrating."

She smiled up at him, the sudden need to cry overwhelming. Fearing she would burst into tears if she spoke, she cast her eyes downwards and nodded quietly. Peter gave her shoulder a final squeeze before leaving her to her work. She watched him walk away, exhaling deeply. It was only when she looked away that she locked gazes with a pair of blue eyes from across the room.

She pursed her lips as Bill stood with the Bob's, talking and laughing about God-knows-what. He happened to glance at her, holding her gaze for the briefest of moments before he refocused on the consultants. She watched as they ended their conversation, expecting Bill to stroll right over but he didn't. Instead, he walked over to Milton's desk without so much as a second glance towards her.

Julia turned back to her computer, tense. She ran her hand through her burgundy hair as she took it in what just happened. Was he seriously ignoring her? And why did that bother her? Wasn't she dreading his attention just moments ago? She glanced over her shoulder to see him tapping Milton's cubicle before walking back to office with, again not even looking in her direction.

The burning on her cheeks only stayed as she replayed last night in her mind for what was probably the millionth time. She had been so eager, so ready for him. She wouldn't be surprised if he thought her some sort of slut for it. It would explain his complete unacknowledgement of her.

 _What does it matter if he thinks less of you?!_ Her inner voice shouted _, You hate him, don't you?_

Yes, she did. So what did it matter what he thought about her? If he wanted to sleep with her then ignore her as if she never existed, what did it matter?

But even as she kept trying to convince herself that it didn't matter, that it was her last day here anyway and she would never see him again, she found herself standing from her desk. She didn't know what she was going to say or how she was going to say it but she was going to address it. Her heart was pounding once more as she turned and began to walk towards his office.

The thought of him laughing at her with the Bob's and the rumors - or truths - that would spread and eventually reach the ears of her friends infuriated her. Chin held high, she approached his open office and knocked on the door, paying no mind to his secretary who gave her a funny look.

"Mr. Lumbergh?"

He looked up from his desk, turning in his chair to face her.

"Jewel," He nodded, "What's happening?"

She grit her teeth in annoyance. The way he looked at her, spoke to her and addressed her... it was as if nothing ever happened.

 _Isn't that what you wanted?_ Her inner voice questioned.

But she ignored it.

"May I speak to you for a moment?" She bit out tensely.

"Sure, come on in," He nodded towards the chair across his desk.

Julia pursed her lips as she walked in, closing the door behind her. She sat down across from him, her cheeks brightening once more at the vivid memory that flashed through her mind at what occured at the very desk that stood between them.

"What can I help you with, Jewel?"

His misuse of her name brought a wave of irritation to her. At this point she knew he was purposely doing it after she had made it clear that it wasn't her name.

"Let's just cut the crap, okay?" She spoke calmly, bringing no reaction out of him, "Look, what happened was a huge mistake."

"Mhm," He listened, as he sat back in his chair comfortably.

"And even though today is my last day, I would really appreciate it if what happened never left this office."

He leaned forward, looking at her through his large glasses. The tiniest hint of a smirk on his face paired with the heated fire in his eyes brought an too familiar reaction out of Julia's body.

"Not a problem," He assured her huskily, "Anything else?"

She dropped her gaze, shaking her head quietly. He watched as she tucked her hair behind her ear which he had begun to learn was a nervous habit of hers.

"I do have something that belongs to you," He suddenly remembered as he leaned back to open one of his drawers.

Julia looked up and her eyes widened in horror as he handed her the underwear she forgot last night. She glanced worriedly outside of his office but saw no one passing by. She swiftly grabbed her underwear, glaring at him as he was unable to hide his amusement now.

"You're such a pig!" She hissed lowly as she stood, "Worst mistake of my life!"

"I doubt that, Jewel," He responded in his usual calm manner.

"Listen, I'm just glad today is the last day I ever have to see you," She continued bitterly and she stood and began to leave his office, "And if you think whatever happened would ever happen again, don't hold your breath!"

* * *

Panting and low moans echoed through the storage room. Pressed up against the wall, Julia's legs hung off of Bill's hips, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. His strong hands cupped her full bottom as he bounced her up and down onto his member. She clung to him for dear life as he drilled into her furiously.

He pressed her against the wall hard, his lips pressed to hers deeply in an attempt to quiet her growing moans. She returned his kiss wholeheartedly, biting at his lower lip firmly, receiving a low groan from the tall man. It didn't go on for much longer as they were nearing their climax.

Digging her nails onto his back, Julia had to grit her teeth as she threw her head back and released a low, shaky moan. Her climax shuddered through her entire body, her limbs quivered as Bill delivered his last thrust. He leaned against her, panting softly, slowly letting go of her legs until her feet hit the ground.

Julia shuddered, her hands remaining around his neck in fear that if she let go, she would collapse. She slowly opened her eyes to look up at Bill looking at her through half-lidded eyes. It was a look on his face that Julia had never seen or ever thought he was capable of. It was startling just how much more human his eyes became with his glasses off, almost as if they hid the soul that no one thought he had.

She eventually slid her arms off of him and used the wall behind her to help her stand. She watched as he pulled his pants up. She reached for her own clothes and began to put them on, an awkward silence filling the room. She smoothed out her blouse as he buttoned up his shirt and put his glasses back on. And just like that, he went back to being her boss; her horrible, dull boss.

Tying his tie, Bill eyed her as she stood with arms crossed, cheeks red and eyes to the ground. It was amazing how she transformed from a meek, obedient women to a fiesty, hot-tempered vixen and then back within the span of seconds. The only way to describe it was... addicting.

"We better get back to work," He suggested as he finished dressing.

She nodded quietly and began to walk out of the storage room swiftly. He watched her walk out before he called out after her.

"I'm still gonna need you to work late tonight."

She froze for a moment. He eyed her carefully and smirked when she said nothing and continued to walk without another word.

* * *

 _Again?!_

If no one had been looking, Julia would have slammed her head against her desk repeatedly. It was now official: she was a god damn idiot. It seemed that everytime she became angry with him, he somehow lit a fire deep within her that couldn't be controlled.

 _Lumbergh?!_ Her concience questioned in shock, _Lumbergh out of all people awakens your inner whore?!_

She could've died. If anyone ever found out about this, that she had slept with Bill not once but twice, it would follow her forever. She would forever be known as that former intern who slept with the vice president of Initech. Even if she found another job at another software company, their mutual connections wouldn't allow her secret to die if it was ever revealed.

 _God, if the guys ever found out..._

Julia's eyes widened when she realized she had completely forgotten about the floppy disk Michael had given her. She scaned her desk and when she didn't find it, she began to panic. She moved paperwork frantically, opening drawers and shoving items out of the way.

"No, no, no," She mumbled to herself.

She peeked over her cubicle to see Michael and Samir working. Keeping calm, she casually question them.

"Hey guys, did you take the disk?"

"Peter took it," Michael informed her, "It's done."

Both guys grinned and gave each other a high five before looking towards her in what they expected to be mutual exictement. When she stood there, pale as a ghost and expressionless, they slowly frowned.

"Are you okay, Julia?" Samir questioned worriedly.

"You've been acting weird all day," Michael added with a frown.

"I'm fine," She insisted before she slowly sat down, suddenly weak.

The two men stood to peer over their cubicle at her. Samir looked at Michael confusedly but received only a shrug. What they didn't realize is that Julia hadn't even taken a look at the codes in the disk, having been with Bill the whole time. She had told Peter she'd have it ready in an hour and he must have seen it at her desk and assumed she had looked it over.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," She finally exhaled, rubbing her eyes stressfully.

"There's nothing to worry about," Samir assured her.

"Yeah, try to relax," Michael chimed in with a smirk, "We're celebrating tonight, a couple of drinks should do that."

"I gotta work late tonight," She sighed, running her hands through her hair.

"What?" Samir blinked, "Says who?"

"Says Lumbergh."

"Screw Lumbergh," Michael scoffed.

That was what Peter heard as he headed over to Julia's cubicle, plopping himself on her desk.

"Screw Lumbergh?" He repeated, "I'd rather kill myself."

The trio of guys laughed, completely oblivious to the great discomfort his words brought Julia.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

The clock hit five and like magic, security popped up right at Michael and Samir's cubicle. They stood by as they gathered their belongings, almost as if they suspected they would steal something. It was insult to injury to have them be escorted out from a job they were unfairly laid off from. Though Julia would be spared from being escorted in front of all their coworkers, it was still difficult to watch and did so with a heavy heart as Michael and Samir exited the building.

Peter had left with them, signaling to Julia to call him to which she responded with a nod from her desk. She sat back down once they were out of sight and went about her day, feeling inexplicably lonely and empty without her companions. Even if she had kept her job, she doubted she would have lasted much longer without her cubicle neighbors.

Julia eventually zoned out and attempted to finish her work, praying that the next three hours would fly by. It was difficult to even focus on work with so many thoughts plaguing her mind. Her body was beginning to reflect the mess of emotions she was carrying. Not only did she look "terrible" - as Michael so delicately put it - she could feel her body aching from the tension she carried, her stomach was constantly fluttering to the point of nausea and her heart would skip several beats whenever Bill came to mind. In fact, she had been so distracted by her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed when the sun set until Drew came by her desk loudly.

"Hey Julia," He stood by her cubicle cooly, goofy grin plastred on his face, "Last day, huh?"

"Last day," She confirmed with a tired smile.

"Sucks," He shrugged, "We're gonna miss you around here."

"Drew, we barely spoke to each other," She pointed out with a smirk.

"Either way, looks like the 'Stay Late Team' is down to just me," He grinned before changing the subject suddenly, "You're going to Tom's barbeque, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

"Cool, see you then," He pointed at her with another grin before heading out of the office.

She was, once again, left alone with no one around... except Bill. She stood at her desk as she began to turn everything off, having emptied her desk and drawers of her personal belongings into a box. Her stomach knotted at the sound of Bill leaving his office, locking his door before heading straight to her.

She grit her teeth, her back to him, as she continued to pack her things. She froze when she felt him behind her, sliding his arms around her waist as he buried his face in her hair.

"Stop," She shrugged him off, ignoring the butterflies that filled her insides.

But he didn't listen. Instead, he brushed her hair over her shoulder before placing his lips on her exposed neck. She shuddered, her eyes closing involuntarily. His hands slid over her stomach and to her breasts, cupping them through her shirt. As much as her body responded to his touch, she remained strong and finally elbowed him, hard enough for him to let her go and step back.

"I said stop!" She spat, turning to glare at him.

He looked at her with such genuine confusion, he looked like a child whose hand was smacked and didn't understand why. She returned to packing her things, finishing quickly before picking up her box. She turned with the intention of storming out but he brought his arm out against the cubicle, blocking her path.

"Move," She warned him icily.

"What's wrong?" He questioned as he looked down at her.

"Nothing," She retorted impatiently, "Look, will you just move? I have plans."

"Plans, huh," He repeated, his brow furowing, "What kind of plans?"

"None of your business!" She glared at him, attempting to get around him but he continued to block her.

After repeated attempts to get him around him, she finally dropped her box onto her desk loudly and angrily before facing him. Hands on her hips and eyes afire, Bill knew he had her then.

"What?!" She nearly shrieked, "What do you want?!"

"You know what I want," He leaned in closer.

She took two steps back until she hit her desk, managing to keep her face angry despite the fact that her knees were weakening at the smell of his cologne filling her nostrils.

"And I think you want the same thing," He spoke huskily as he leaned in so closely that her breasts would've brushed up against his chest if she took a deep breath.

"You're delusional," She scoffed, shaking her head, "I told you it was a mistake."

"A mistake?" He questioned with a smirk, "So you have a habit of making the same 'mistake' twice?"

"I don't need to explain-"

He couldn't back any further and bent his head down, pressing his lips against her as his hands reached out for her, pulling her against him. Julia pressed her hands against his chest, pushing weakly. She tore her lips away from him, looking away but it only led his lips to her neck.

"Please..." She whispered hoarsely.

He grabbed her legs and picked her up, sitting her on her desk. With her desk so low, she was forced to look up at him as he stood in between her legs. He looked down at her with the same expression he had earlier that day in the storage room and her heart melted. She swallowed her spit as he brought his hands up to her face, gently brushing her hair back as he gazed down at her.

"Beautiful," He spoke down at her.

She lowered her gaze shyly, her cheeks burning. He cupped her chin and brought her eyes back, his lips pressing against hers in a deep kiss. Her mind shut up and her body took control. Sliding her hands up his chest until she held his face, sighing contently as she kissed him back.

She couldn't deny it any longer: she wanted Bill Lumbergh.

* * *

She never thought she would end up where she was. Lying in her boss' bed, stark naked with her back to him. After they had made love in the office, right at her desk, they moved the party to his house where they ravished each other fully and thoroughly. This time with no clothes in the way, no rush, no risk of getting caught and no more excuses.

The first time had been a mistake done in the heat of the moment. Even the second time she would be willing to call it a slip. But the moment she willingly came to his home with the intention of sleeping with him again, she knew she couldn't keep lying to herself.

"That was terrific," She heard him say from behind her.

She rolled her eyes as she continued to lay on her side. She felt him moving until he was spooning her from behind, not allowing even an inch of room between their bodies. She felt his lips brush gently on her shoulder, blinking slowly, touched by his tenderness.

She would never figure out how someone who appeared so dull could secretly be so passionate and surprisingly tender behind closed doors. He wasn't just sleeping with her. He was allowing her a peek into the man behind the stupid suspenders and large glasses.

She could say she offered him the same thing as she didn't recognize herself when she was with him either - it was unsettling, frightening even.

"I better get going," She muttered as she attempted to slide out of his grip.

"Wait," He whispered softly as he pulled her towards him and onto her back, covering half of her body with his.

She looked up at him as he brought a hand to her cheek, running his thumb over her lower lip.

"What's the hurry?" He questioned quietly.

"It's getting late," She brought her hand up to his wrist, not to push but to rest.

"So what?" He spoke as he leaned in to catch her lips in his but she tilted her head back to avoid it.

"So I already blew off my friends to be here," She pressed, "I probably have twenty voicemails waiting for me at home."

He let her go, watching her as she slid out of his bed and began to get dressed. He lay on his side, resting his head on his hand.

"You mean Peter?"

"Peter, Michael, Samir," She clarified as she buttoned her pants before reaching for her blouse.

"Ah... I see," He responded lowly as he slid out of bed.

An involuntary pang of jealousy shook Bill out of his post-sex uphoria. An image of Peter at Julia's desk earlier today, stroking her blushing cheek and whispering lowly to her. He had known they were friends. In fact, their constant conversation and the loud laughter that followed throughout their shift was why Bill had Julia move her desk to sit near Michael and Samir.

But even then, they made pit stops at each other's desks, went to lunch together, grabbed coffee together. More often than not, it included the entire little clique. But when it was just the two of them, it stirred something inside of Bill that drove him crazy.

He supposed he had always been jealous of Peter's friendship with Julia on a subconscious level which is probably why he was so hard on him to begin with. And now, the thought of her rushing off to call Peter after having made love with him was deeply bothersome...

But he said nothing and walked towards her, pulling her into his arms. Julia peered up at him. There was an uncertainty in her eyes that he hated but she didn't resist him.

"See you tomorrow?" He questioned, successful in hiding the hopefulness in his voice.

She hesitated, lowering her eyes.

"I don't think that's a good idea..." She stated lamely.

"Why?" He pressed softly.

God, she wished he wouldn't talk to her like that. In fact, she wished the Bill she was more familiar with would make an appearance now; she at least knew how to deal with that one.

"This was fun and all but I think it's best if we just say goodbye now," She spoke unconvincingly, "I'm sorry."

Without another word, she pulled out of his arms and left. Bill watched her leave quietly, not bothering to go after her.

He was confident that tonight wouldn't be the last he saw of her.

* * *

When Julia returned home that night, she had several voice mails - as she predicted - from Peter. It had been far too late to return the call and instead made a mental note to call him in the morning.

But the phone had begun ringing before she even woke up.

With a low groan, she had turned in bed and glanced at the clock sleepily.

 **12:00PM**

She sat up in a rush, tossing the blanket off of her and hopping out of bed to answer the phone. As she rushed to the living room and grabbed the phone, she answered tiredly.

"Hello?" Her voice came out hoarsely.

"Jesus, Jules, where were you last night?" Peter's voice rung through the other end.

Julia rubbed her eyes as she struggled to come up with an answer.

"Working late," She offered lamely.

"Until what, midnight?" He jested, "We were worried."

"Yeah, I'm sorry-"

"You okay? You sound like you've been screaming all night," He noted her strained voice.

"O-Oh, yeah," She brushed it off, grateful he couldn't see her cheeks reddening, "Just a sore throat. I haven't been feeling well..."

"Yeah, I noticed," He muttered, "You still going to Tom's party?"

"Yeah, yeah," She assured him.

"You can hitch a ride with me if you want," He offered, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

She froze, her blood running cold. Her mind immediately went to last night; pants, moans, thrusts and glistening bodies. She cleared her throat, her voice cracking.

"S-Sure."

"I'll be there in an hour. See you then."

Julia slowly put the phone down on the receiver, gritting her teeth as her paranoia took over. It had to be about Bill. What else could it be?

"Fuck," She cursed lowly as she made her way to the bathroom.

She walked to the shower and turned on the faucets, her stomach uneasy. She began to think of ways to try to explain herself but as she showered, got dressed and hurriedly fixed her hair and makeup, she could come up with none. There was really no excuse for what she did other than the fact that she had no self control.

When she realized that she wouldn't be keeping her job no matter what and she released all her anger towards Bill, she released something else. She released a lust that she had refused to accept due to the fact that he was largely disliked, more so by her friends and the pressure to join in on it was great.

She had not only slept with the enemy but she was lying about it. She had stood up her friends to go home with him, forgetting about everything and everyone. All she could really offer Peter was the fact that she had told him last night that she wasn't going to see him again.

She hoped it would be enough.

Peter noticed Julia's tension the moment he picked her up. She got in the car, her usual smile out of sight. Her cheeks remained as red as they did yesterday. He attributed her sudden change with what was obviously a fever and a sore throat.

"You don't look so good," He commented, "You sure you still want to go?"

"I swear if someone tells me I don't look so good one more time..." She shook her head with a bitter laugh, "Yes, I want to go so can we just go now?"

He said nothing, glancing at her warily as he drove towards Tom's party. They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before Peter finally decided to say anything.

"So, I wanted to talk to you," He began.

Julia exhaled shakily, closing her eyes as they threatened to water. Shame washed over her as she expected him to explode any minute now. But Peter didn't notice, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I know you've been feeling really stressed out, depressed even. But I want you to know that this is actually a good thing. Leaving Initech may seem scary but you got your life ahead of you. You're a hard-working woman and you'll find another job in no time."

She held her breath, listening carefully.

"Look, I'm no good with words... what I'm trying to say is," Peter struggled to find the words, "You don't have to worry about the plan. No matter what happens, we have each other's back."

She remained silent, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, she glanced at him expectantly.

"That's it? That's what you wanted to tell me?" She questioned.

"Yeah," He shrugged, looking over at her, "Why? What did you think I was gonna say?"

"Nothing," She shook her head, "Thank you... I appreciate that."

Relief lifted the burden off of her shoulders. It almost made her weak. It looked like her dark secret would go unknown and she could just forget everything that happened. Her friends would never find out and she could finally start pretending that she never slept with Bill.

 _So... why does my heart still feel so heavy?_ She wondered as a memory of Bill's soft expression flashed in her mind.

* * *

She felt all her troubles go when they arrived at the barbecue. She was surrounded by her co-workers and Tom's friends and for the first time since she found out she was losing her job, she felt at ease. She spoke with Michael and Samir briefly before they excused themselves to speak to Tom's lawyer.

She was left with another group of coworkers, all of whom were also being laid off from Initech. She found comfort in their conversation as they discussed their plans for the future.

Maybe Peter was right. It was terrifying to leave a job that, even if she hated it, provided her with a sense of security. But this was a chance to pursue new things, maybe even end her short software career and find something she actually enjoyed.

All thoughts of Bill escaped her and she felt like her old self again.

Peter noticed it as he watched her from afar with a small smile. He only stopped looking at her when Drew came to stand next to him

"Hey Peter," Drew peered at him over his sunglasses, grinning.

"Drew," Peter nodded with a smirk.

"That Smykowski, huh?" Drew nudged him, "Lucky bastard."

Peter chuckled, nodding in agreement. He looked back towards Julia. Drew followed his stare and nodded towards her.

"You, uh... you with her?"

Peter looked at Drew confusedly for a moment before he realized what he was asking.

"Oh, no," Peter assured him, "God, no. We're just friends."

"Good," Drew laughed, "I was gonna say you better use a rubber if you're hittin' that, bro."

Peter's brow furrowed as he looked at Drew as the platinum-blonde eyed Julia from across the backyard with mischeif in his eyes.

"Why's that?" Peter pressed, ready to come to Julia's defense.

"Didn't you hear?" Drew looked back at Peter with a nudge, "She fucked Lumbergh."

Peter froze, staring at him before he chuckled nervously.

"Very funny, Drew."

"Dude, I saw them my own eyes!" Drew insisted, "Scariest fucking thing you'll ever see!"

"What do you mean you saw 'em?" Peter frowned suddenly, all amusement gone.

"Last night," Drew continued, obviously finding the situation hilarious, "We were both working late and I left before she did. I forgot my address book inside and when I went back to the office, they were fucking right there on her desk! I ran out to my car, scared as shit and just sat there! They came out after and they left together!"

Peter slowly shook his head, suddenly feeling a tightness in his chest. Is that why she blew them off without so much as a call? Because she was with Lumbergh all night?

"No way..." He muttered in disbelief as he looked at Julia who was laughing with a mutual friend of theirs.

"Yes way!" Drew continued, oblivious to the effect this was having on him, "He was giving it to her good! Way to go, Lumbergh, huh? Ha! All those times she's been working late make sense now."

Drew had no idea how right he was. Peter's mind began to piece together everything. She had always worked late before but this entire week she had been different and he had assumed it was because of their plan.

Well now he knew the truth and he felt completely sick and utterly betrayed. He wanted answers but knew he had to wait. He managed to hold onto his anger, reigning it for the time being but as soon as he got her alone, she had a lot of explaining to do...

* * *

When they left the party, Julia jumped in Peter's car with their moods completely switched from when they arrived. Peter sat stiffly in his seat, driving in silence as Julia sat in a laid-back manner.

She had immediately begun to discuss their plan. She had spoken briefly to Samir and Michael before they left and they were suddenly not so sure about what they had done after a talk with Tom's lawyer.

She, too, was beginning to feel very wrong about the whole thing.

"I don't know, Peter," She began as she unclicked the lid loudly, "I mean... what if we get caught? I just don't think it's such a good idea-"

"Yeah, well, maybe it wasn't such a good idea for you to sleep with Lumbergh," He snapped icily, unable to hold back any longer.

The blood drained from Julia's face as she turned to him with wide eyes.

"What?" She choked.

He looked at her knowingly and the look of disgust she dreaded to ever see on him was plastered on his face. They looked at each other tensely before Julia felt the blood rushing back to her face, lowering her gaze guiltily. It was a silent admission and it drove Peter insane.

"Ahh!" He cried out frustratingly, bringing a jump out of her, "Oh God... Lumbergh!"

"I'm sorry, Peter-" She began but he didn't want to hear it.

"Damn it, Julia!"

The usage of her first name indicated just how upset he was.

"Lumbergh? Lumbergh?!" He exclaimed in disbelief, "Our unholy, disgusting pig of a boss?!"

"He's not disgusting..." She spoke lowly, his words igniting a sudden irritation.

"He represents all that is soulless and wrong!" He continued to shout, "And you slept with him!"

That was it for Julia. She scoffed, looking at him in disbelief.

"You don't even know Bill!" She retorted, her previous shame having evaporated and replaced with anger.

"Oh, so he's 'Bill' now," Peter laughed venomously.

"It's none of your business! I don't give you crap about who you sleep with!"

"Well, I didn't think you slept with guys like Lumbergh! I didn't know you were that desperate to keep your job!"

"Excuse me?!" She shouted now, "Listen to you! How dare you judge me?! You think you're some kind of angel?! At least I'm not pretending to be some kind of big shot criminal!"

"Yeah, well, that may be," His voice suddenly calmed as he looked out at the road, "But at least I never slept with Lumbergh."

"You know what?" She put her hands up, "Pull over, I'm getting out."

"Fine," He spat as he stopped the car without hesitation.

Shaking with rage, she opened the door to the car but had a few choice words to say.

"Why don't you call me when you want to talk like an adult?" She suggested, ready to slam the door but she stopped midway to look inside, "Oh wait, that's probably never going to happen, you big baby!"

"Say hello to Lumbergh for me-" She could hear him shout before she slammed the door furiously and began to stomp away from him.

She could hear him slamming on the gas pedal, his tires skidding as he drove furiously away.

* * *

Julia had managed to walk herself to the nearest bus station. As she waited for half an hour at the bus stop and riding the bus home, everything began to sink in. Though she was still furious, other emotions came in to join, weighing down her shoulders. She had been so upset by Peter's reaction that she didn't even get a chance to ask him how he found. But she knew it didn't really matter and she highly doubted Bill would have told anyone as doing so would jeopardize his own job.

By the time she was home, she stepped out of the bus with a lump her throat. Her eyes stung with fresh tears as Peter's words replayed over and over in her head. She had known he would be upset, disgusted even, but wasn't prepared for how hurtful his words would be.

What surprised her the most was how angry it had made her to hear him speak of Bill in such a manner. It was almost funny how things change. Just a week ago, she would've joined in the name-calling towards him but now... now she couldn't.

 _This is more than just sex, isn't it?_ She asked herself sadly.

Somewhere, somehow, she caught feelings. Not last night or even this week. This was a long time ago. But with the pressure to hate him and the annoying-boss-side to him made it difficult to want to acknowledge those feelings.

You don't just sleep with someone you hate out of nowhere if there wasn't some sort of spark there. She had always desired him, maybe always even liked him. And she never would've probably realized it without Peter.

If he hadn't told her she was quitting, if he hadn't suggested this crazy scheme and gotten herself involved, she would've gone the rest of her work week as normal. Her last day would've come and she would've been laid off unexpectedly, giving her no chance to become so angry and bitter. The anger is what fueled her inner fire, a fire that burned down the walls that blocked her true feelings towards Bill.

Julia sighed as she walked towards her apartment, eyes glued to the ground. Nearing her complex, a bright color caught her attention from the corner of her eyes. She looked up and glanced towards it, her eyes widening.

It was a powder-blue Porsche 911 SC and leaning against it was the very man who plagued her thoughts, his arms crossed as he seemed to be waiting for her.

It was all too much and her tears finally spilled. She couldn't fight it anymore and she didn't.

She began to walk towards him then picked up her pace as he pushed off of his car. Her tears running down her cheeks, she began to run and when she reached him, she threw her arms around his neck and lost it.

Bill wrapped his arms around her tightly, confused and unsure of why she was crying or what brought this sudden reaction. He had expected to have her try and get him to leave but instead she ran straight into his arms. Hell, he wasn't complaining.

He closed his eyes as she buried his face in her hair, kissing it softly as she cried quietly against him.

Just like Julia, he didn't know when exactly these feelings began. All he knew was that once the door had been opened, he didn't want to go back. All he could think about was Julia. Jewel. His Jewel.

"Shh," He hushed her comfortingly, kissing her hair as one arm wrapped around her waist, his other hand sliding up and down her back - he was being the man that no one but Julia knew.

As her tears began to slowly stop and her arms hung loosely around his neck, she lay her head on his chest. She was reduced to a few sniffles as all the weight on her shoulders, pain in her heart and confusion on her mind was gone. The moment he had wrapped his arms around her and every negative emotion went away, she realized the truth:

She was falling for Bill Lumbergh.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Julia lay in bed, naked and content. She looked down at Bill as he laid his head on her stomach, her hands running through his hair. A soft smile graced her face as he looked up at her, his glasses on her nightstand. Nothing needed to be said as they simply enjoyed the gentle silence that followed the intensity of their endless lovemaking.

He had spent the night after he showed up at her apartment. When she was done crying and had composed herself, she had invited him inside. He had no chance to ask what was wrong because as soon as the door closed behind him, she had thrown herself at him and he was unable to resist her.

They had spent the remainder of the night ravishing each other and this time, Julia didn't allow herself to feel any guilt, confusion or self-loathing. She enjoyed herself thoroughly, submitting to the man who became a different person just for her.

"Feeling better?" He questioned suddenly.

She smiled lightly down at him, providing a curt nod.

"Yes, much better."

"What happened?" He finally asked now that he had gotten a chance.

He noticed the hesitation in her eyes, her lips pursing. He wanted to know what happened, what it was that caused her to return home in so much pain.

"Nothing," She shrugged finally, peering down at him with saddened hazel eyes.

"It didn't seem like nothing."

"I'd rather not talk about it," She stated firmly, "Let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" He pressed his lips to her stomach softly.

"Like why you insist on calling me 'Jewel'."

She was genuinely curious. She had always assumed he couldn't remember her name but that first night when they made love in his office, he had admitted to purposely not using her name.

"It suits you."

A shy smile graced her face as he slid himself off of her, hopping out of bed and getting dressed. She slid out of bed and began to do the same, secretly wishing he didn't have to go.

"Come over tonight," She heard him say suddenly.

She looked towards him as he sat on her bed, his back facing her as he put his shoes on. When she didn't respond right away, he looked over his shoulder curiously as he put his glasses on.

"Unless you think 'this'," He motioned back and forth between them, "is still not a good idea."

"No," She shook her head as she quickly put some clothes on, sliding her feet in some slip-on shoes, "It's... a good idea."

He smirked at her as he stood up. Julia walked with him out of her bedroom and through her apartment until they reached her door. He stopped in front of the door, pulling her into his arms as he brought her in for a kiss.

Julia's knees buckled as he brought his hand up to her rosy cheek, his thumb gently running across her cheek. She returned his kiss deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck, her body sliding to press against his. A sudden and loud knocking on the door startled them both.

She frowned as Bill reached for the door, opening it only to be faced with Peter.

Julia's throat went dry, quietly cursing under her breath. But Peter wasn't paying attention to Julia.

Both men looked at each in surprise, an awkward silence ensuing. Bill cleared his throat with a nod as Peter stared at him, daggers shooting from his eyes.

"Peter," He greeted him tersely.

Peter nodded silently, glancing briefly towards Julia whose stance was already on the defensive. She crossed her arms, chin tilted upward as she stared hard at Peter, silently daring him to say something.

"I was just on my way out," Bill continued, glancing at Julia, "I'll see you tonight."

She nodded, watching as he walked past Peter, their shoulders bumping. Peter grit his teeth, standing quietly until Bill's footsteps could no longer be heard. Peter looked over his shoulder, glancing from the corner of his eye to assure Bill wasn't within hearing distance. When he saw him enter his car, he turned back to Julia.

"We need to talk," He spoke seriously.

"If this is about yesterday-"

"We have bigger problems," He exhaled shakily before he nodded towards his car, walking towards it hurriedly.

She frowned at his words, the urgency in his eyes and voice startling. She paused but eventually followed him to his car, fearing the worst.

* * *

They drove in complete silence to Peter's apartment, the tension so thick that she could feel herself almost choking on it. She was too afraid to ask what happened and he was too angry to start talking, not trusting himself until they got to his place where Michael and Samir were already waiting for him.

As they pulled up to the driveway and rushed to his apartment, Julia closed the door behind them. She looked at Samir and Michael who sat at Peter's small dining table, both visibly shaken and stressed.

"What's going on?" She finally asked, glancing at all of them worriedly.

"Our plan backfired, that's what's going on," Michael stated in a panic.

Her eyes widened as she looked at Michael.

"W-What do you mean-"

"I checked my account this morning and there was $300,000 deposited," Peter explained impatiently.

"What?!" She exclaimed.

"Julia," Peter began, trying his best to remain calm, "You were supposed to check the software for any bugs, how could you have missed it?!"

"I-I... I didn't get a chance to look at it," She admitted weakly.

"So you never even looked at it?!" Samir stared at her, aghast.

"How?! Why?!" Michael spoke loudly as he stood from his chair.

"I didn't get a chance, okay?!" She shouted back, glaring at all of them, "Michael gave it to me and I left my desk and when I came back, Peter had already taken it!"

"You didn't think about telling us?!" Samir pressed, eager to blame her.

"I thought it wasn't a big deal," She stammered, panic filling her, "I thought maybe Michael had programmed it accurately."

"Well, clearly not," Peter spat at her, suddenly fueled with anger, "Maybe if you were at your desk and not with Lumbergh, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Hey, quit getting pissed at me, this was all your idea, asshole!" She shouted at him, her cheeks scalding.

Michael stepped forward now, "Alright, okay, let's try not to get pissed off at each other. Let's just figure this out together."

Julia crossed her arms over her chest as she glanced hesitantly at Michael and Samir. They hadn't expressed any surprise by Peter's words or any confusion which clearly indicated that they knew of her affair.

Michael motioned to the table where they all sat around. Julia took deep breaths as she waited for someone to start.

"Okay," Peter exhaled, attempting to calm himself, "Look, the first thing we gotta do is close that account before it gets any bigger."

"Is there any way we just give the money back?" Samir suggested.

"What, just hand them a check for the exact amount they're missing?" Peter questioned sarcastically, "I think they'd figure that out."

"Well, we have to do something!" Samir stated the obvious.

"Maybe we could launder the money," Michael suggested suddenly.

"That's a great idea!" Michael's eyes lit up, "Okay, how do we do that?"

"I-I don't know..." Michael admitted lamely, "I don't even know what that means, I was hoping you knew... I think coke dealers do it."

"Okay," Peter spoke eagerly, "Do we know any coke dealers?!"

"My cousin's a cokehead," Michael offered.

When his friends only stared at him dumbfoundedly, he looked downward, fidgeting nervously.

"Fuck... we're in deep shit..."

"Yes," Samir narrowed his eyes at him, "We are in very, very deep shit."

"Here!" Michael offered as he bolted from the table and towards Peter's bookshelf.

Julia watched as he pulled out a dictionary and opened it to the letter "L" until he found what he was looking for.

"Okay," He read out loud, "'Launder; to conceal the source of money as by channeling it through an intermediatry."

Peter gripped his hair with his hands, closing his eyes frustratingly. Samir looked at him in disbelief as Julia began to bounce her knee, anxiety filling her.

"That doesn't really help us, Michael," Samir informed him.

"I can't believe what a bunch of nerds we are," Julia finally spoke up, "We're looking up 'money laundering' in the dictionary."

"Yeah, well..." Michael scoffed as he tossed the dictionary aside, "You can all eat my ass."

A brief silence followed before Peter finally turned to Julia, in his eyes dwelling all the negativity he felt for her in that moment.

"I can't believe you slept with Lumbergh, that's what I can't believe."

Julia scoffed, chewing on her lower lip for a moment before she turned to face him in her chair fully.

"Yeah, well, I did," She slapped her hand against her thigh, "It happened. And you know what, Peter? I liked it."

Michael and Samir exchanged glances, Samir uncomfortably walking away from the table as Michael helped himself nervously to a bag of chips that had been laying around.

"I don't get it," Peter shook his head at her, "How long as this been going on anyway?"

"Does it matter?" She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, it matters!" Peter began to shout again, standing from his chair, "For all we know you could've purposely let this happen!"

"What?!" She shrieked, jumping to her feet, "How could you even think something like that?! Do you hear yourself?! I'm involved in this too, if you go down, we all go down with you!"

"Yeah, well, since you're sleeping with the enemy, I'm sure you'll get off easy..." He muttered.

Before Julia could control herself, she slapped him fiercely across the face, alarming all three men. Michael and Samir stared at her wide-eyed as Peter brought his hand to his reddening cheek. He looked at her in surprise and it only made her angrier.

"Fuck you, Peter," She spoke tearfully, her eyes watering.

Peter grit his teeth as she stormed past him and left the apartment, slamming the door fiercely. He looked at his friends, taking in their uncomfortable body language. Michael rubbed his neck awkwardly as Samir kept his eyes on his clasped hands.

"What?" Peter questioned them, "You got something to say?"

"No, no," They both shook their heads.

Peter cursed lowly as he sat back down, rubbing his stinging cheek.

"I can't believe she slept with him."

"Peter, who cares?" Michael finally blurted out, shrugging, "So she slept with Lumbergh."

"Yeah, who cares?" Samir added.

Peter looked at them back and forth, frowning confusedly.

"How are you guys okay with this?"

"I mean... come on, Peter," Michael shrugged, "The way she always looked at him... it was bound to happen."

"What do you mean? I never noticed."

"You don't notice a lot of things," Samir laughed, shaking his head.

Peter's frown deepened as he tried to think back. He couldn't remember a single time Julia had shown any interest in their boss. If anything, she was quick to bash him, almost eager. Maybe that was her way of trying to hide it.

He was convinced she hadn't been sleeping with him for long. He just wished he knew why she decided to pursue a relationship with him now out of all times, when they had planned something so big. He wondered if she would tell Lumbergh but somewhere deep inside of himself, he knew she wouldn't rat them out.

Guilt suddenly washed over him as he realized what he had said to her both yesterday and just now. He had pretty much accussed her of whoring herself out for the sake of her job. He had been so preoccupied with how he felt that he hadn't even stopped to think that maybe she actually liked this guy - maybe even loved him.

It was incomprehensible to Peter that anyone could ever stomach sleeping with Bill.

"I guess there's someone out there for everyone," Peter mumbled.

The topic of Julia was forgotten as the trio continued to try and think of a way to get themselves - and Julia - out of this mess.

* * *

When Julia arrived at Bill's house that night, he had noticed her mood immediately. He was greeted with a tight hug which he returned with a kiss to her head. When she continued to hold onto him, he looked down at the shorter woman and noted how she lay her head on his chest, her eyes closed as she savored the feel of being wrapped in his strong embrace.

"You okay?" He questioned, already knowing the answer to that.

He expected her to say "yes" and brush it off as she seemed to frequently do. But when she said nothing for a moment before speaking, he was surprised.

"No," She exhaled, opening her eyes as she looked up at him.

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She must've cried for at least an hour straight before she headed over to his house.

"Come here," He took her hand and brought her to the living room, sitting with her.

He looked at her calmly as she sat back on the couch, her eyes closing as she tried to keep from crying again.

"What happened?" He asked as he rubbed her leg.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly. She was having trouble finding the words but she didn't end up having to.

"It's Peter, isn't it?"

She brought her hands to her lap and looked at him, nodding.

"Mm..." Bill grunted, visibly irritated.

"He's taking 'this'," She pointed back and forth between them, "very hard."

"Why is that?" He asked, squinting in confusion.

"It's complicated," She sighed, not wanting to even bother trying to explain it.

"I mean, if you two had a history-"

"No," She interrupted him swiftly.

"Ah," Bill nodded, "Well, I'm gonna need you to try and explain this to me because I don't understand."

"There's nothing to explain," She stated impatiently, "Peter's my friend, he's just worried-"

"Or jealous."

A bark of laughter escaped her as she slid off the couch, standing in front of him. The very idea was insane.

"Trust me, it's nothing like that. I mean, if you want me to be honest, I don't think it's any secret that Peter is not exactly fond of you nor are you fond of him."

Bill paused before nodding in agreement as he watched her begin to pace the living room slowly.

"Peter and I are close, yes," She admitted, "And I think the idea of a best friend being in a relationship with someone he doesn't like would be hard for anyone."

Bill looked at her curiously, raising his eyebrows.

"Relationship?"

She suddenly realized what she said and felt her face heat up. She looked away, mumbling shyly.

"I mean... you know what I mean."

He stood up and walked to stand before her, looking down at her softly.

"No, I don't," He teased, "Why don't you tell me."

She felt the need to cry again, feeling very foolish all of a sudden. Peter's words from yesterday struck her; about how she was so desperate to keep her job that she'd sleep with Lumbergh. Maybe that's what Bill thought too.

"Nevermind," She looked away with a bitter smirk, "I mean, it's just sex anyway, right? Don't read too much into it."

Noting her discomfort and obvious embarassment, Bill brought his hands to her face and kissed her softly. She brought her hands to his wrists, her eyes watering from the sheer softness of it.

He stopped to press his forehead against hers, his eyes closed as he continued to hold her face.

"I think 'relationship' is a good word," He whispered with a smirk.

Julia felt a weakening stir at his words. He said nothing else before he brought her lips back against his, this time kissing her deeply. He scooped her up in his arms with ease, cradling her, continuing to kiss her as he walked them to his bedroom.

And like everytime she succumbed to him, all of her troubles ceased to exit.

There was only her and him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Peter stood by his car in the parking lot of Julia's apartment. He had been waiting for an hour already but he intended to wait all night if he had to for her to come home. When Samir and Michael had left, angry with him for having gotten them all into this mess, he had plenty of time to think to himself.

He had made a mistake, he never should've even suggested the scheme. He had convinced his friends to do something stupid, something they had been greatly hesitant to do, and it only seemed fitting that he take the blame. In his pocket were bonds for the amount of money stolen from Initech as well as a confession letter. He had no intention of dragging his friends with him.

But it still didn't feel right if he went to jail without apologizing to Julia for being such an asshole.

When Michael and Samir expressed indifference at the fact that Julia slept with Lumbergh, it made him realize how stupid he had acted. He was acting like some jealous boyfriend and that wasn't the case. Well... maybe a little bit. He had never had a friend this close to him that was female. It was difficult to have to share her with someone he hated especially knowing that it possibly changed their friendship.

Dating changed everything, even for guys who were friends with guys or girls with other girls. He was a bit jealous but more so scared of losing her friendship. He knew it was selfish of him to feel that way.

When he saw her car finally pull up to the parking lot, he straightened his back and watched her as she got out of her car. She spotted him immediately and surprised him by walking directly towards him. Her face was emotionless as she finally stood before him, her arms crossed loosely over her chest.

"Hey," He offered lamely.

"Hey," She returned, eyeing him curiously.

"Jules" He rubbed the back of his head with a sigh, "I want to apologize about Lumbergh, I had no right to get pissed off at you. Lumbergh wasn't even the problem."

"Don't worry about it," She shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm serious," He insisted, looking straight into her eyes, "Listen, I don't know if I can ever really get used to the idea of you and Lumbergh... But I think I can learn if it meant keeping you as my friend."

Her eyes softened at his words. But he wasn't finished.

"I'm gonna take the blame for everything. This was all my fault, I never should've dragged you guys into it. As long as you're happy and the guys are off the hook, I can live with going to jail. I've been a real asshole and I could never make up for what I've said and done but if you could forgive me-"

"Just shut up," She interrupted him gently.

He was thrown off by Julia suddenly pulling him into a tight hug. He smirked, hugging her in return, patting her back.

"I guess this means I'm forgiven."

"Yes," She nodded, stepping back to look up at him, "And I also can't let you take the fall for this alone-"

"Yes you can," He brought his hands to her shoulders, looking at her determinedly, "I want to do this. I'm giving the money back and I'm leaving a confession in Lumbergh's office. And that's that."

She sighed, looking down at the ground, her heart aching. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly?

"You happy?" He asked suddenly, bringing his arms to his side, "With Lumbergh?"

She smiled lightly, nodding.

"Yeah... I am."

"Good," He smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets, "That's all that matters."

She wanted to tell him how much it meant to her but found herself choking on her words, a lump developing in her throat as everything sunk in. By the time she found the strength to speak, he did first.

"I'm gonna head out," He continued to smile, "Say hello to Lumbergh for me."

She rolled her eyes with a smile as he repeated his words from a few days ago. She watched with a heavy heart as he got into his car. She stood outside and watched him drive off. When his car was out of sight, she walked to her apartment, stepping inside.

She sighed as she closed the door behind her, pressing her back against it. Peter may have insisted that he take the fall for everything but she couldn't live with herself if she let him do it alone.

As much as her mind shouted at her to just let him do it, to focus on her new relationship with Bill and pursue a different job, her heart couldn't. It would be cruel to let him do this alone.

She would talk to Bill tomorrow before he went to his office... and she would confess everything herself.

* * *

Bill was standing in his bathroom, tying his tie in front of his mirror as he readied himself for work. The sound of his doorbell ringing brought a confused furrowing of his eyebrow as he looked at his watch. Who could possibly at his door this early in the morning?

He walked to his door and opened it, pleasantly surprised to see Julia standing there.

"Hey," He greeted her with a soft smirk, "What are you doing here so early?"

"Sorry," She tucked her hair behind her ear, "I was wondering if I could come in?"

"Sure," He motioned for her to come inside as he walked towards his kitchen.

She followed him inside, closing the door behind her as she watched him begin to prepare his coffee.

"Everything alright?" He questioned immediately.

"Yeah, I just wanted to talk," She approached him, standing across his counter from him, "It's... pretty big."

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her curiously.

"Yeeeah?" He pressed her, his interest piquing.

She exhaled nervously, casting her eyes downward as she tried to remember the speech she had rehearsed yet suddenly seemed to forget.

"I just want you to know that if you never want to speak to me again after this, I completely understand."

Bill frowned, worry flickering in his eyes.

"What is it, Jewel?"

"Bill, I did something-"

 **Ring. Ring.**

The sound of his phone ringing loudly interrupted her.

"Hold that thought," He brought his finger up before dashing to his phone, picking it up, "Yeah, Bill Lumbergh."

Silence.

"What?" He answered tensely.

She turned towards him with a frown as he continued his conversation.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way."

He hung up the phone and walked to her, bringing his hands to her arms.

"Jewel, I gotta go," He spoke quickly before pressing his lips to hers in a swift, barely-there kiss, "We'll talk later."

"B-But Bill-" She tried to stop him but he was out the door before she got another word out.

* * *

It was funny how things always seemed to work out.

Even when you're faced with what appears to be a dead end, there's always a passage that appears out of nowhere. When Julia found out what happened to Initech, she was initially unable to even react. It was almost too good to be true that the building would catch on fire out of nowhere, destroying all evidence of the penny-shaming that could incriminate them all.

When Julia met up with Bill later, she put aside her own relief to comfort him. Though the loss of Initech meant she and her friends were off the hook, it also meant he and many others were now out of a job. Julia, however, had no doubt he would find another job with the amount of experience he had and told him so.

He had been so distracted by today's events, he completely forgot that Julia was supposed to tell him something earlier and she had no intentions of reminding him.

"It's a real shame," He sighed as he stood in his kitchen, pouring himself scotch in a glass and taking a swig.

She sat across from him, leaning against his counter. She pitied him, really. He was one of the very few at Initech who didn't absolutely hate their job.

"You'll find something else," She assured him, "I'm sure of it."

When all he did was stare into his glass, she stood and walked towards him. She held him from behind, pressing her cheek against his back. He responded by placing a hand over hers. No words needed to be spoken as they basked in each other's presence.

* * *

 _6 Months Later_

Julia pushed her cart through the grocery store, her eyes scanning the shelves for a particular brand. So focused on her search, she hadn't even noticed the person across from her until their carts collided.

Startled, she looked up only to see a familiar goofy grin.

"Peter!" She exclaimed excitedly before rounding her cart to embrace him.

"Hey stranger," He grinned, returning her hug tightly.

Pulling back, she smiled brightly up at him. It had been months since she had last seen him. Since the lay offs, she, Michael and Samir had gotten jobs at Intertrode and therefore saw each other frequently. Peter, however, had decided to go a completely different route and joined his roomate in the construction business which, according to Samir and Michael, he was very happy to be in.

"How have you been?" She asked, "Michael and Samir told me you're working in construction."

"Yeah," He nodded, "It's been a nice change of pace. How about you?"

"I've been good," She brought her hand up to brush her hair out of her face, a glistening diamond on her left hand catching Peter's attention.

"I heard about the engagement," She smirked, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," She grinned, "Did you get my invitation?"

"I did," He nodded, "I'll be there."

He noted how her face lit up at his words and his eyes softened. Though he and Julia hadn't seen in each other in quite a while, bumping into each other now felt as if they had been hanging our regularly like the old days.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your shopping," He pulled her in for a hug.

Julia hugged him tightly, closing her eyes for a brief moment before they parted.

"I'll see you around?" He questioned.

"Definitely," She smiled widely.

They parted ways and Julia was confident she would see Peter before the wedding. Seeing him brought a wave of emotions and memories, all of which warmed her heart.

Though it hadn't been funny back then, they laughed now at the predicament they had gotten themselves into and the miracle that had gotten them off the hook. She couldn't really regret anything as it had unexpectedly brought her to the love of her life, a man she never thought she could ever fall in love with.

When Bill proposed, Julia had been more excited than she thought she would be. They had moved in together a month after Initech burned down and it had been, for the most part, utter bliss.

Of course, he did annoy her from time to time. After all, he was Lumbergh.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Thank you for whoever read this quirky and short story. Definitely not my most complex story but I had a lot of fun writing it.

If you haven't, check out my "Hunchback of Notre Dame" story which is definitely a longer, more plot-based action/love story!

I have SEVERAL stories planned, both long and plot-based and short and simple, so if you enjoyed the stories I've written so far, feel free to favorite me as an author for updates!

~ Laruto


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